SSAS Student Contributor

  • Interview with Shannon Fernandes, the Climate Change Coordinator at the Town of Lincoln, Ontario

    Shannon Fernandes – Climate Change Coordinator at the Town of Lincoln

    Blog Contributor: April Sorenson 

    I would like to introduce all of you to Shannon Fernandes, the Climate Change Coordinator at the Town of Lincoln. Shannon is helping Lincoln become a more resilient community by developing and implementing a climate change adaptation plan for the Town. Shannon graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Environmental Studies in Sustainability Management. She has experience in environmental consulting, community outreach and sustainable supply chain management. She is passionate about social and environmental sustainability, community engagement and making a positive impact on the world. In the questions below, Shannon explains her goals for the Town of Lincoln, the challenges she faces in her role, and the climate change adaptation progress in the Town 

    What are your main responsibilities as the Climate Change Coordinator? 

    My main responsibility as the Climate Change Coordinator is to focus on the planning and implementation of municipal climate change priorities. Primarily, this involves working closely with staff to develop the Town’s climate adaptation plan. Additionally, I contribute to several projects such as developing Green Infrastructure / Low-Impact Development Design Standards, participating in Niagara Adapts, and conducting community outreach. 

    What is your primary goal for the Town of Lincoln? 

    My primary goal for the Town of Lincoln is to build the Town’s capacity to adapt to climate change and extreme weather and to continue Lincoln’s efforts to develop a sustainable and livable community. In order to strengthen our ability to adapt and respond, it is important that we collaborate on innovative approaches for climate change adaptation, ground those approaches in municipal and academic expertise, and build relationships across sectors.  

    What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your role?  

    The biggest challenge I face in my role is encouraging climate change literacy. It is important that staff and citizens understand the science, risks, vulnerabilities, and opportunities associated with climate change impacts in Lincoln.  

    To address this challenge, Lincoln partnered with Niagara municipalities and Brock University (through Niagara Adapts), which allows us to leverage resources and expertise, enable collaborative adaptation planning, reach out to residents and staff through surveys, and promote climate change awareness and action. It has been an incredible opportunity for Lincoln to be a part of this initiative and I look forward to continuing to work and learn alongside our communities, academic partners, and neighbours. 

    What are the greatest challenges Lincoln faces as a Town in regard to climate change? 

    Given the local nature of many climate impacts, like floods, extreme weather, heat alerts, or drought conditions, the Town’s greatest challenge is being the front line to manage risks, protect community safety, and promote economic, social, and environmental sustainability. To ensure the plan is robust enough to address the varied impacts of climate change, the climate adaptation plan will be primarily informed by diverse subject matter experts comprising the Adaptation Steering Committee. It is important that every department – Public Works, Community Services, Planning, Emergency Management, and Tourism and Economic Development is involved in the process. 

    What is the most important thing citizens of the Town can do to alleviate climate change? 

    There is a lot that Lincoln citizens can do to mitigate and adapt to climate change.  

    Firstly, installing green infrastructure to prevent stormwater from running down driveways and into storm drains is a great way to prevent flooding on your property; collecting water in rain barrels and water gardens also saves money on water bills. Disconnecting downspouts and planting rain gardens or trees are great ways to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. 

    Small actions include reducing singleuse plastics, conserving water, upgrading bulbs to LEDs, eating more plant-based meals, or taking public transit. In Niagara we have an abundance of growers and shopping locally is an excellent way to reduce environmental and water footprints. 

    Lastly, stay engaged! Talk to family members, friends, and neighbours about climate change, participate in community events, visit lincoln.ca to participate in surveys, public information nights, and council meetings about climate change. Elected officials need to know that climate change action is important to you. 

    Can you tell us more about the climate change adaptation plan that is underway at the Town of Lincoln? 

    The purpose of a climate adaptation plan is to prepare the Town of Lincoln to adapt to anticipated climatic change and extreme weather, thereby minimizing the severity of the resulting impacts. This will be achieved in the following manner: identification of the potential impacts related to climate change and extreme weather in Lincoln and the risk they pose to the Town, prioritized adaptation actions to reduce risk and vulnerability associated with climate change and extreme weather impacts, and the development of a detailed implementation plan.

    Input will be gathered from staff, Niagara Adapts, Council, the Stakeholder Advisory Group, and Lincoln citizens and businesses on an ongoing basis. 

    Categories: Blog, Brock Lincoln Living Lab, Innovative Partnership, SSAS Student Contributor

  • Learning to Learn Remotely

    Blog Contributor: Bridget McGlynn

    Students adjust to SSAS 5P12 in an online format (credit: Jessica Blythe)

    Brock University suspended face-to-face classes Friday, March 13th in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the end of the second semester for SASS Year 1 students was transitioned to a remote learning format. As a student in Scheme B (the thesis stream), I experienced the transition of SSAS 5P12 and SSAS 5P04 to an online platform, both of which were incredibly smooth!  

    SSAS 5P12 is the Climate Change Adaptation & Transformation course is led by Dr. Jessica Blythe and her course heavily emphasises class discussion, both when reflecting on weekly reading assignments and completing adaptation planning workshops. Our weekly seminar was transitioned by using a remote platform and the nature of the small Master of Sustainability program led to productive classes. Dr. Blythe’s smooth transition to delivering the course remotely allowed us to finish our final weeks of climate change transformation discussions and receive guidance on our final deliverables. 

    SSAS 5P04 is our transdisciplinary seminar that normally culminates in Year 1 students presenting research proposals prior to their committee meetings in April. These proposal presentations offer the opportunity to share with your professors and peers the independent work of the previous 3 months and receive feedback. As a student, the exercise is not only valuable because of the feedback received but is also exciting to see how your peer’s project conceptualizations have morphed from the initial ideas presented during whiteboard talks in November. Transitioning these presentations to a remote format involved adding narration to PowerPoint slides. While speaking into headphones is less invigorating then presenting to a live audience and listening to your own recorded voice can be somewhat unpleasant, this transition to sharing recorded presentations was very effective! As questions and comments were communally added to feedback forms, students were able to receive extensive feedback on their presentations – perhaps even more than a normal question period would have allotted for.  

    As a student, these altered class formats have been incredibly helpful as they have allowed me to continue progressing towards my degree despite the immense uncertainty. 

    Categories: Blog, SSAS Program, SSAS Student Contributor

  • Affirming Stewardship in Niagara Parks

    Blog Contributor: Bridget McGlynn

    This past week on March 12th, 2020, the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) ratified the stewardship plan “Nurturing environmental stewardship in the Niagara Parks: Strategic plan 2020-2030”. The ratification of the stewardship plan at the recent Commission meeting marks another accomplishment for the Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Initiative (EESI), a 5-year partnership between the NPC and Brock University. The co-creation of the stewardship plan by NPC and Brock University’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) began in April 2018 when the Memorandum of Understanding creating the EESI was signed. The goals and objectives in the 2020-2030 Stewardship Action Plan dovetail with the overarching NPC Strategic Plan. The stewardship action plan also incorporates operationalizing monitoring and evaluation strategies and will continue to push forward efforts for the co-creation and mobilization of knowledge.  

    At the commission meeting, both NPC’s Steve Barnhart, Senior Director, Parks, Environment & Culture, and the ESRC’s Dr. Ryan Plummer spoke to the ongoing success of the partnership. To date, the partnership has been invaluable for furthering quality environmental stewardship research and for closing the research to action gap. Multiple Master of Sustainability students have completed thesis research within the partnership and a SSHRC Insight Development Grant (Drs. Julia Baird, Marilyne Jollineau, Ryan Plummer) was secured to investigate approaches in monitoring and evaluating and the effectiveness of environmental stewardship initiatives in Niagara Parks. The partnership is committed to ensuring academic research is transformed into action, as demonstrated by the inaugural EESI partnership round table in Fall 2019, where Angela Mallette, a Master of Sustainability graduate, discussed her research findings with NPC staff and leadership. The partnership also seeks to broaden engagement with stewardship initiatives through continuing to enhance student learning through experiential education opportunities and increasing community participation and learning opportunities.  

    This commission meeting also included the signing Memorandum of Understanding between NPC, Brock University and Ontario Trails Council, demonstrating a continued commitment to innovative partnerships.  

    Categories: Collaborations, Environmental Stewardship Initiative, Innovative Partnership, SSAS Student Contributor

  • Student Research Highlight: Participation in Trail Monitoring & Evaluation

    Blog Contributor: Bridget McGlynn

    On March 5th Samantha Witkowski, a current Master of Sustainability student at Brock, led a workshop in partnership with the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) to continue her research on participatory monitoring and evaluating processes. This workshop was made possible by the Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Initiative (EESI), a partnership between the NPC and Brock University. Hosted at the beautiful Niagara Glen Nature Centre, the workshop included a variety of stakeholders, such as community members, Niagara Parks staff, and ecology experts, who discussed management possibilities for the trails in the Niagara Glen. 

    The day began with coffee and a guided walk though trails in the Niagara Gorge for participants to enjoy and observe the trails prior to considering management practices. Our Niagara Parks guide spoke about the history of the Glen, current management practices, recent site improvements, and usage patterns. Upon completion of the hike, participants returned to the Nature Centre and the exciting discussions began! The Niagara Glen received an unprecedented number of visitors in Summer 2019, and as such much of the discussion revolved around ways in which Niagara Parks can manage the trails in the Niagara Glen while upholding their mandate of “Preserving and promoting the natural and cultural heritage along the Niagara River corridor”. Through their vision, Niagara Parks also aims to be an “innovative example of sustainability” and a “welcoming, accessible and inspiring place”. Consequently, brainstorming regarding management practices revolved around maintaining and improving current trail quality, encouraging visitor stewardship through education, and promoting alternative Niagara Parks trails. The varied backgrounds of the participants presented multiple perspectives on the current needs of the Glen, management priorities, and relevant key performance indicators. The workshop provided an excellent example of the transdisciplinary research being conducted at the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) as it brought together diverse stakeholders to address a local, solution-based research question.

    Categories: Applied Research, Environmental Stewardship Initiative, Innovative Partnership, SSAS Student Contributor

  • Green Infrastructure/Low Impact Development in the Town of Lincoln

    Blog Contributor: April Sorenson

    Increased rainfall in the Town of Lincoln is stressing existing infrastructure 

    Due to climate change, increasing storm severity is causing more frequent flooding in Ontario. The traditional infrastructure designed to handle rainwater is unable to handle the increasing volumes. As a result, municipalities are looking for new and sustainable ways to handle the excess water and prevent flooding. A type of Green Infrastructure, called Low Impact Development (LID), is one solution. Green Infrastructure includes all of the natural vegetative systems and innovative development practices that restore natural processes. LID is a development strategy that strives to mimic the natural hydrologic cycle. In contrast to conventional infrastructure such as curbs, gutters and sewers that move stormwater out of the city as soon as possible, LID works to mimic the natural hydrologic cycle by allowing stormwater to infiltrate on site. This allows for increased groundwater recharge, reduced flooding and reduced pollutants in the water supply. Types of LID include: rain gardens, bioswales, green roofs, permeable pavement and rainwater harvesting. LID is one way to increase social and ecological resiliency because it decreases vulnerability to climate change and contributes to human and ecological health by reducing flooding, improving water quality and providing greenspace for people and wildlife. 

     The Town of Lincoln plans to develop a Green Infrastructure/Low Impact Development Design Standard with funds awarded from the Great Lakes Emerging Champions Mini-Grant. The Emerging Champions Mini-Grants are part of the Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions Program being undertaken by the Great Lakes Commission with financial support from the Erb Family Foundation. The grants help mid-sized communities develop strategies to overcome barriers and increase LID implementation in the Great Lakes Basin by providing mentorship and financial support. In addition to this grant, the Town will be hiring a consultant and working with Brock University’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre to create the Design Standard. This Standard will provide staff, developers, residents, and property owners with direction on landscape-based LID stormwater management planning and design. It will encourage the installation, operation, and maintenance of LID in the town. The Design Standard will be a big step towards a more resilient and sustainable future for the Town of Lincoln. 

    Categories: Blog, Brock Lincoln Living Lab, Innovative Partnership, SSAS Student Contributor

  • Creating Connections with the Community through the Brock-Lincoln Living Lab

    Blog Contributor: April Sorenson 

    Photo: Faculty members from the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre lead a workshop for the members of the Senior Management Team at the Town of Lincoln to assist in the development of a Brock-Lincoln Living Lab Action Plan. 

    What happens with the abundance of knowledge and research generated by universities? Usually, it stays within academic spheres for years or decades before reaching the communities that would benefit from it. In this way, the knowledge is not “mobilized” efficiently. Brock University’s Environmental Sustainability Research Center (ESRC) is attempting to change this through their innovative community partnerships. The Brock-Lincoln Living Lab is one of five partnerships that the ESRC has undertaken over the past several years in order to mobilize knowledge in the community. Living labs are user-centered, open innovation systems that integrate research and innovation processes in reallife communities. The Brock-Lincoln Living Lab is a fiveyear partnership between Brock University and the Town of Lincoln that strives to bridge the gap between theory and practice in order to solve complex sustainability challenges. 

    Both Brock University and the Town of Lincoln benefit from this partnership. Students in the Master of Sustainability graduate program are able to gain work experience through research assistant opportunities, co-op work placements and through hands-on projects in a graduate  course called Problem Solving in the Environment (SSAS 5P03) where they are taking on consulting projects for the Town in Winter 2020. The Town also benefits from these types of experiences because the research that students complete can better guide policy decisions and provide evidencebased solutions to ongoing sustainability challenges 

    In 2019, one of the specific projects undertaken by this partnership involved working with the Senior Management Team to create an Operational Action Plan for the Brock-Lincoln Living Lab. So far, the partnership has produced a report of the existing assets in the Town and a needs assessment was also conducted to help guide future action. Overall, this partnership is an opportunity to improve the local community through collaboration and innovation. The Brock-Lincoln Living Lab is one of the first partnerships of its kind and is leading the way towards effective sustainability action in the local community.  

    Categories: Brock Lincoln Living Lab, Innovative Partnership, SSAS Student Contributor

  • Leo LeBlanc Rowing Centre LED Lighting Upgrade

    Blog Contributors: Ryan Stewart, Energy Manager, Maintenance and Utilities Services & Nolan Kelly 

    Brock University’s commitment to become more environmentally sustainable and energy efficient continues with the most recent LED lighting upgrade in the Leo LeBlanc Rowing Center. The Leo LeBlanc Rowing Center is a high-performance rowing training facility that is home to Brock University’s rowing teams. The center allows the teams to combine conventional work out equipment with an eight-person tank to train as if they were out on the open water. The previous lighting fixtures in the center were energy intensive and caused operational issues for the occupants, as it would take up to 10 minutes to ramp up to full output. These lighting fixtures have since been replaced for a type of LED light that is brighter and that operates at a greatly reduced power requirement, which makes it more efficient. This LED lighting fixture also offers an instantaneous start-up to full output (no more 10 min wait for the fixtures to come up to full output) which makes the center more much accessible to the rowers. Within this new lighting fixture there also exists dimming capabilities and an increased rated life of 50,000 hours. The project was completed in December of 2019 and cost $6,772.20. The project qualified for an incentive from the Local Distribution Company of $1,680.00 and with an annual Energy Savings Projects Project Profile electrical savings of 23,695 kWh (equating to $4,620.50) the projects simple payback is just over 1 year. The project also results in a carbon savings of 16.75 eton CO2/per year, which is equivalent to taking approximately 6 cars off the roads 

     

    Project Details:  

    Project Cost: $6,772.20  

    Incentives/Grants: $1,680  

    Simple Payback: 1.07 years  

    Energy Savings: 23,695 kWh ($4,620.50)  

    CO2 Reduction: 16.75 eton  

    Project Completion: December 2019 

    Categories: Blog, Innovative Partnership, SSAS Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock

  • Life in the Thesis Stream of the Sustainability Science and Society program at Brock

    Blog Contributor: Meredith DeCock

    I always assumed I would return to the academic world to pursue a master’s degree. But I resisted this urge for years as it felt like something I should do, not necessarily something I felt a passion to do. If I was going to do a master’s, I wanted it be for a specific purpose and mean something. That is when I found sustainability science.

    I chose Brock, not only because it seemed to be the best sustainability science program in Canada, but I was really interested in a lot of the research being conducted at the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC). I reached out to my now supervisor, Dr. Liette Vasseur, as her work on ecosystem-based adaptation and ecosystem governance interested me. She was just starting a three-year long project with a neighbouring community that will help them co-generate adaptation strategies to combat the impacts of climate change. I was sold. I packed up my essentials and drove across the country to start the program in the fall of 2018.

    Being in either the thesis or MRP stream, your first semester is largely focused on just trying to figure out what grad school is all about. You are in a new school, and in my case, a new province, while trying to balance the seemingly never-ending work loads of classes and trying to understand your area of research.

    The second semester in the thesis stream you have a slightly lighter course load compared to your MRP peers; however, I found second semester busier than the first. I took on an extra course, held a research assistantship position with the ESRC, and took on a few other professional development opportunities that Brock offers such as presenting at the Brock Mapping New Knowledges (MNK) Conference, completing a certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, and submitting an article to a journal for peer-review. But to ensure I did not fall behind, I considered my research proposal its own class. I did not let a week go by without working on my research proposal. It is easy to let your research slide to the backburner in the first two terms of the program; however, if you schedule time into your week dedicated to your thesis, you will be successful.

    I am thankful that I am working with a supervisor on a specific project as I wanted to complete a master’s knowing that my research project is feeding into something larger. However, I know that is not the case for everyone. There is no right way to go about it, but it is great to know that there are options and that you will feel supported by the ESRC regardless of which route you choose.

    Categories: Blog, SSAS Program, SSAS Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock

  • Life in the Master of Sustainability Program – Second Semester 2019

    Blog Contributor: Connor Thompson

    The second semester seemed to pick up right where the program left off in December. I think the cohort expected to ease into the winter term, but our hopes were immediately dashed thanks to a few quick deadlines. Such is life in grad school!

    Both of this semester’s courses were taught by Dr. Jessica Blythe. Jessica absolutely loves working in academia and that passion comes through clearly in her lectures. If you have the opportunity to take any of her courses I highly recommend it, her excitement is infectious and she makes coming to class an enjoyable experience every week.

    SSAS 5P03 – Problem Solving in the Environment

    This is the program’s project management course. Our class was kept as a single project team, tasked with creating a sustainable tourism framework for the Town of Lincoln through our Living Lab agreement. You can expect a few bumps along the way, but a strong group dynamic can overcome just about anything 5P03 throws at you.

    SSAS 5P04 – Transdisciplinary Seminar

    If this course sounds familiar it is because I wrote about it last semester too, 5P04 runs in both the fall and winter. The seminar brought researchers and professionals in to speak with us from across disciplines, which was incredibly useful in bridging sustainability research, policy, and practice. These events are open to the public and you can see past seminars here.

    SSAS 5P12 – Climate Change Adaptation & Transformation

    This course was steadily demanding throughout the semester, largely because we were required to read two articles and submit a 500 word critical response each week. We also created climate data projection reports for Walker Industries Inc. and many of their worksites across Canada, then we each read a book on climate change adaptation, wrote a review, and were given the option to submit it for hopeful publication in an academic journal. The weekly deadlines ensured that we had all completed and were able to speak to the readings with a high level of understanding, which lead to some fascinating conversations on how we communicate about climate change as sustainability scientists.

    The Co-op Job Search

    There is no formal course requirement for co-op students in the second semester, as the focus becomes putting those skills to work and securing a job. The co-op hunt is difficult so my only recommendation is to be prepared to search as soon as you start back at Brock in January. Expect to write a lot of cover letters, send many introductory emails, and spend an unreasonable amount of time on job boards. Look at it as preparation for life after the program!

    For more information about the Master of Sustainability program here at Brock, please visit: https://brocku.ca/esrc/ssas/

    Categories: Blog, SSAS Program, SSAS Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock

  • The Brock-Lincoln Living Lab Launches its Official Action Plan

    Blog Contributor: April Sorenson

    Through the Brock-Lincoln Living Lab (BL-LL) partnership, the Town of Lincoln has now launched its official Action Plan, a summary document highlighting the main work outlined in the Brock-Lincoln Living Lab Operational Action Plan that was finalized in Fall 2019. A community action plan is a road map for implementing community change. This action plan consists of a number of concrete actions that outline the people, resources and timeframes needed to assist the Town of Lincoln in becoming a more sustainable community. This Action Plan was designed to be a simple, accessible document that summarizes the main projects being undertaken by the BL-LL in the Town of Lincoln.  

    The five main projects identified in the Action Plan focus on the Town’s activities related to the following: 

    • A Community Hub 
    • The Economic Development Strategy 
    • The Town’s Tourism Strategy 
    • Water for Agriculture 
    • The Town’s Infiltration/Inflow Reduction Program 
    • Additional projects being led by faculty members in the ESRC at Brock University include research on the Urban Tree Canopy, the Prudhommes development project, and Niagara Adapts.  

    The document is designed to be used by city officials, residents and anyone wanting to learn more about the activities of the BL-LL. For each project the document also outlines the main goals of each project, the team members involved in the different projects, specific action items and the resources needed for each project. These projects are part of a five-year trajectory of the BL-LL designed to help the Town of Lincoln become a more sustainable community. 

    The Brock-Lincoln Living Lab Sustainability Action Plan is available on their website 

    Categories: Blog, Brock Lincoln Living Lab, Innovative Partnership, SSAS Student Contributor